The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-05

Slueucn uoG Gne oplTu. LES. He neiS
hTS aEiEsn Fson 0aSf 81 the nh'HFh FFnt Sas
trnmpled on my mission, aud the blood OF
the atonement that brought with which to
cleanse his soul, he sometimes desrised. |
came from the throne Of God to convert and
comfort and sanctity, and yet look at that
man and see what he is compared with what,
The eviden~e on tho part Of the prosecu
ton has closed. Now let the defence br in.
on the rebuttai testimony. What have you,
o Christian soul, to bring in reply TO this evi.
dence Of the world, of the conscience, Of
the angel and of the Holy Gho5t' No evil
Unclean. unclean," says every Christian
soul. What' Do you not begin to tremble
at the thought Of condemnation!
We have come now to the most interesting
part Of this great trial. The evidence all in,
the advocates speak The profession of an
advocate is full of responsibility. In Eng
land and the United States there have arisen
men who in this calling have been honored ty
their race and thrown contempt upon those
great many meannesses. That profession
will be honorable as long as it has attached
to 1t such names as Mansfield and Marshall,
and Story, and Kent and Southard, and
William Writ. The courtroom has some.
times bean the scene OF very marvellous aad
thrilling things. Some Of you remember the
famous Girard will case, where one of our
advocates pleaded the cau:e Of the Bible and
Christianity in mastery Anglo o-Saxon, every
paragraph thund?rbolt.
Some of you have read of the famous trial
in Westminster Hall, Of Warren Hastings,
the despoiler of India. That great man had
conquered India by splendid talents, by
courage, by bribes, by gigantic dishonesty.
The whole world had rung with applause or
condemnation. Gathered in Westminster
Hall. place in which thirty Kings had been
naugurated, was one of the most famous
audiences ever gathered. Foreign Ministers
and Princes sat there. I'eers marched in
clad in ermine and gold. Mighty men and
women from all lands looked down upon the
scene Amid all that pomp and splendor,
and amid an excitement such as has
seldom been seen in any court
room, Edmund Burke advanced in
speech which will last as long as the English
charge which made Warren Hastings cringe
and COVER: 81 impeach him in the name Of
the Commons House of Parliament, whose
trust b, has betrayed impeach HMM the
name of the English nation, whose ancient
honor he has sullied. imp; ach him in thu
name of the people of India, whose rights he
has trampled on, and whose country he has
turned into q desert. And, lastly, in the
name of human nature. in the name OF both
sexes, in the name of every age and rank, l
impeach him as tie common enemy and op-
pessor Of ALL"
Rut turn from the recital Of those men,
orableoccasions to giander trial and have
to tell you that in this trial Of the Christian
for the life Of his soul the advocates are
mightier, wiser and more eloquent. The evi.
dence all being in, Justice rises in behalf OF
the prosecution to make his plea With the
L e. 10 Ia &6a Intx
stern and inhexible, and the penalty: "The
soul that sinueth, it shall die" Then he
says: 20, thou Judge and Lawgiver, this is
Thine own statute and all the evidence in
earth and heaven agrees in stating that this
man has sinned against all these enactments.
Now let the sword leap from its scabbard.
Shall man go through the very flames Of
Sinai unsnge1! Lat the law be executed.
Let Judgment be pronounced Let him die.
l demand that he die"
o Christian, does it not look very dark for
thesl Who will plead on thy side in so for
lorn a cause? Sometimes q man will be
brought into a court of law and he will have
no friends and no money, and the judge will
look over the bar and say: "Is there any
one who will volunteer to take this mans
case and defend him" and some young man
rises up and says: 81 will be his COUNSEL"
perhaps starting on, from that very
Now, in this matter Of the soul,
as you have nothing to pay for counsel. do
you think that any one will volunteers Yes,
yes; see One rising. He.is young man,
only thirty-three years Of age. see His
countenance suffused with tears and covered
with blood, and all the galleries Of heaven
are thrilled with the spectacle. Thanks be
unto God, I've have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"
n Chrcfian coul vour ceSa hapinq tO 1O0Z
better ! think perhaps after all you may
not have to die. The best advocate in all the
universe has taken your side. No one was
ever so qualified to defend a man as this ad-
vocate is qualified to defend you. He knows
all the law, all its demands, all its penalties.
He is always ready. No new turn Of the case
can surprise Him. and He Will plead
though you brought world of treasures
to His feet Besides that, he has
undertaken the care Of thousands who were
as forlorn as you, and he has never lost case.
Courage. o christian soul. think that after
all there may be some chance for you, for the
great Advocate rises to make his plea, he
says: II admit all that has been proved
against my client. admit all these sins, aye,
more; but look at that wounded hand OF
mine, and look at that other wounded hand
and at my right foot and atmy left foot. By
all these wounds plead for his clearance.
Count all the drops of my tears. Count
all the drops Of my blood. By the humilia-
ton Of Bethlehem, by the sweat Of Geth-
semane, by the sufferings Of the cross I de-
mand that he go free. On this arm he 18th
leaned; to this heart he hath flown; in ply
tears he hath washed on my Righteousness ha
hath depended. Let hin 90 free. I am the
ransom. Let him escape the lash, took the
scourg ngs. Let the cup pass from him, I
drank it to the dregs. Put on him the crown
OF life, for have worn the crown of thorns.
Over against my cross Of shame set his
throne Of triumph.
Well, the counsel on both sides have
spoken and there is only more thing remain.
ing, and that is the awarding Of the judg-
ment. If you have ever been in court
room you know the silence and the solemnity
when the verdict is about to be rendered or
the judgment about to be given. About this
soul on trial, shall it be saved or shall it be
10 t. Attention! above. around, beneath.
All the universe cries: Hear! Hearr
The judge rises and gives this decision,
never to be changed, never to be revoked
"There is therefore now no condemnation to
them who are IN Christ Jesus"
"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for ro-
will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though al hell should endeavor tn
shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake.n
But, my friends, there is coming day OF
trial in which not only the saint but the sim
ner must appear. That day of trial will come
very suddenly. The farmer will be at the
plough, the merchant will be in the counting.
room, the woodman will be ringing his axe
on tho hickories, the weaver will have his
foot on the trealle, the manufac-
turer will be walking amid the
bIzL OF looms al the cack Of tlyinE ma
chinery, th, counsel may bs stan lsny at the
bar, pleading the law, ths minister may be
pleading the Gospel, tho drunkard may be